Method of and apparatus for making shoes



May 19, 1942. B. JORGENSEN I METHOD O F AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHOES 442 AV VE N 717/7 AW a y 1942. B. JORGENSEN I METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHQES 5 She ets-Sheet 2 Filed July 30, 1940 y 19, 1942- B. Jo eENsEN v 2,283,260

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING snozs Filed July 2'0, 1940 5 Sheets-S heet s y 1942- B. JORGENSEN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHOES Filed July 30, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 19, 1942 METHOD or AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHOES Bernhardt J orgensen, Marblehead, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 30, 1940, Serial No. 348,513

32 Claims.

This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for preparing the toe ends of partially fabricated shoes for toe-lasting with cement...

Such preparation consists in severing a strip from the toe margin of the lining to enable the corresponding margin of the upper (outer layer of leather) to be brought intocontact with the insole as a result of the subsequent toe-lasting operation.

For purposes of this description the term lining, as applied to the toe end of a shoe, is intended to include any other inside layers that may be present, such as the usual toe-box and doubler. Good shoe making of the type under consideration requires the overlasted toe margin of the upper to lie in contact with the insole, and to this end various practices and various types of trimming machines have been developed to sever a strip of the corresponding margin of the lining, but the condition of a shoe at this stage renders the lining-trimming operation so difficult that some of the surplus lining is usually left unsevered. This condition is due to pulling-over or side-lasting the shoe, whereby the margins of the lining and the upper are secured to the insole at the rear of the tip-line.

To deal with this problem an object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of preparing the toe ends of partially fabricated shoes for toe-lasting with cement, whereby all of the surplus toe margin of the lining may be readily severed without damaging the upper.

To this end, the method, in one aspect, consists .in first shipping the lasting margins of the lining and the upper at or near the tip-line at both sides of the forepart to free the toe margins from the side margins, flaring the toe margin of the upper to unmask the toe margin of the lining, and severing the latter margin on a line so close to the insole throughout the entire range bounded by the snips that only a very narrow band of the lining will thereafter be folded over the edge of the insole.

The invention also provides an improved machine having provisions for flaring the upper and severing the lining in accordance with the method above set forth.

An improved feature of the machine is provided by a novel combination comprising an abutment for locating the toe portion of the insole, a series of pincer units for gripping and flaring the toe margin of the upper, a toe-band for deflecting an intermediate band of the flared upper toward the plane of the insole to conform the lining to the toe of the last and to press the insole against the abutment, and cutting mechanism by which a strip of the surplus toe margin of the lining will be severed in a plane close to the bottom of the insole throughout the range bounded by the snips near the tip-line.

The invention also includes a novel combination of operating elements, some deriving their motions from a treadle and others from a source of fluid pressure under control of the same treadle, but all coordinated to take effect according to a predetermined sequence.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the upper portion of a trimming machine embodying the invention, the front of the machine being at the left of the figure;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the assemblage represented in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation, partly in section, of fluid-operated mechanism by which the trimming cutteris operated;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the toe portion of. a partially fabricated shoe prepared for the trimming operation;

Fig, 6 is a vertical section including the workengaging elements of the machine and the toe portion of a shoe about to undergo a trimming operation;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view including the lower portion of the frame of the machine, treadle mechanisms for controlling the operation thereof, and a valve assemblage under control of one of the treadles; and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the fluid-operated units and the valves for controlling their operation. 1

Fig. 5 represents a typical example of the toe portion of a partially fabricated shoe prepared for the trimming operation to which this invention relates. This type of shoe is intended to have an outsole attached with cement and to be toe-lasted with cement irrespective of the means employed to secure the lasting margin of the upper in the side-lasting operation. According to a practice now common, the shoe comprises an insole ll], an upper H, and a lining [2' all assembled on a last I3. After the usual pullingover operation, the shoe is side-lasted without lasting the toe margins, and staples I4 are employed in the side-lasting operation to secure the lasting margins of the upper and the lining to the insole. When a shoe has been fabricated to this stage, it is ready for the trimming operation by which a strip of the toe margin #5 of the lining is to be severed on a line near the edge of the insole without severing the corresponding margin I6 of the upper. The dotted line ll represents the line on which the margin I5 is to be severed. If the shoe includes a toe-box and a doubler .their'lasting margins will also be severed on the line H and, for purposesof this description, it is to be understood that the margin l5 will include all the layers except the upper, i. e. the outer layer, and that the expression toe margin of the lining is intended to include the corresponding margins of a toe-box and a doubler if the shoe comprises such elements.

Assuming that the side-lasting operation has been performed and that the operation of severing the margin is about to be performed, the operator will pull out the usual temporary toetack and snip all the lasting margins at two opposite points near the tip-line to enable the margin i5 to be erected and the margin It to be spread out, as shown in Fig. 5; while the sidelasted margins remain in contact with and secured to the insole. The spreading of the margin l6, while the margin [5 stands erect, unmasks the latter to enable the trimming means hereinafter described to sever it without severing the margin l5.

The machine about to be described comprises a series or group of pincer units arranged and operated to grip the margin l6 and maintain it in an outspread condition and out of the field of operation of the trimming means while the latter is severing the margin 15. The illustrated machine comprises four operating units designed to be actuated by compressed air, three of these units having pincers for the purposes above mentioned, and the other being utilized to operate a toe-band and a cutting blade.

The machine also comprises two treadles one ofwhich serves first to retract the pincer units from their operative positions to clear a space into which the margin [6 may be inserted before it is gripped by the pincers. operated by the other treadle require two downstrokes and two up-strokes of this treadle to efiect a complete cycle of operations, the first down-stroke being effective to produce operation of the pincer units and the toe band, the 4 second down-stroke being effective to produce operation of the trimming means, and the second up-stroke being effective to return all the parts to their initial positions and release the margin it from the pincer units.

The frame of the machine comprises a floor pedestal l8 (Fig. 7), a column l9 supported thereby, and an open head afiixed to the upper end of the column (Fig. 1). The principal elements of the open head are a bottom plate 20, a top plate 2!, and four upstanding posts 22 connecting them. These two plates and four connecting posts constitute a rigid structure of approximately rectangular shape, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

A horizontal platform 23 is arranged in the space between the plates and 2|. This platform is movable up and down and constitutes a carrier on which the pincer units are mounted. Four parallel links 24 arranged in pairs connect the carrier 23 and the two rear posts 22 to guide thecarrier in its up-and-down travels and to prevent tipping thereof. These links are connected to the carrier and to the posts 22 by pivot pins. 'Thecarrier 23 is initially supported at its upper level (see Figs. 1 and 3) by two tension springs 25 the lower ends of which are connected respectively to the two lower links 24. The upper end of one of these springs is connected to the plate 2! by an anchoring hook 26 (Figs. 1 and 2) but the upper end of the other spring 25 is engaged with a lever 21 hereinafter described and does double duty in that it applies downward force to the lever as well as upward force to the carrier 23.

The connections The initial level of the carrier 23 is regulated by an adjusting screw-28 having a shoulder 29 arranged to bear on the upper surface of a yoke 30 amxed to the carrier. This screw extends loosely through a hole in the yoke and through a hole in the head frame and is screwed into a clevis 3i pivotally connected to the upper end of a treadle-rod 32. The lower endof this rod (Fig. 7) is pivotally connected to the right-hand treadle 33, the purpose of which is to depress the carrier 23 and the pincer units carried thereby while the toe portion of a shoe is being located prior to actual operation of the pincers.

The carrier 23 is provided with three pairs of upwardly projecting ears through which horizontal fulcrum pins 34 extend to furnish pivotal mounts for three pincer units. Each of these units (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) comprises a bell-crank lever 35, a cylinder 36 formed in the upper end thereof, a piston 37 arranged in the cylinder, a pincer jaw 38, a pincer jaw 39, a link 40 for communicating motion'from the piston to the jaw 38 and a tension spring 4| that normally retracts the jaw 38 from the jaw 39 to maintain the pincers initially in open position. The jaw 39 is formed on or affixed to the cylinder 36, and carries a fulcrum pin 59 on which the jaw 38 is mounted. Compressed air may be supplied to the cylinder 36 below the piston for imparting gripping movement to the jaw 38, and for this purpose the lever 35 is provided with an airduct 42. The ducts 42 in all the pincer units are in constant communication with each other (Fig. 8) to the end that compressed air supplied to any one of them will be distributed to all three.

The locations of the three cylinders 36 and the pincer jaws are represented in Fig. 2, the central pair of jaws being arranged to engage the margin l6 of a shoe upper at the middle of the toe end while the two other pairs of jaws are arranged to engage the same margin at opposite sides of the toe end. Moreover, the fulcrum pin 34 of the central pincer unit is so arranged that the pincer jaws of this unit may be swung in a path lengthwise of the shoe, but the corresponding fulcrum pins of the other pincer units are so arranged that the pincer jaws of these units may swing in paths extending widthwise of the shoe. It is therefore possible for the three pincer units to tension corresponding portions of the margin l6 away from the toe portion of the last in paths approximately radial with respect to the curvature of the perimeter of that portion. I e

As shown in Fig. 1, a flexible hose 43 is connected to the central pincer unit and is in communication with the duct 42. Compressed air is supplied through this hose and is thereafter exhausted through it. Still referring to the central pincer unit, the duct 42 is extended downwardly into the horizontal arm of the bell-crank member 35 where it has communication with a cross-duct 44 that intersects this arm. Two flexible hoses 45 are connected to this arm at opposite sides thereof and are in communication with opposite ends of the cross-duct 44. These hoses conduct compressed air from the central unit to the two other units respectively each of which is provided with a similar duct 42 (Fig. 3) and with a cross-duct 45.

As shown in Fig. 8, a pipe 46 for supplying compressed air is connected to a valve chamber 47 in which an inlet valve 48 of the poppet type 1s arranged. This valve is initially maintained against its seat by the pressure in the chamber 41 but is also preferably spring-biased to insure prompt closing. The stem of this valve projects, as shown in Fig. 7, to be engaged by a tappet 49. An exhaust valve 50 of similar construction is arranged to control the escape of air from a valve chamber the stem of this valve also projecting to be engaged by a tappet 52 (Fig. 7). The delivery side of the inlet valve 48 is in communication with the valve chamber 5| through the medium of a connecting pipe 53 and the flexible hose 43 is in communication with this pipe. Consequently, when the valve 48 is opened while the valve 50 remains closed, compressed air will flow from the supply pipe 46 through chamber 41, pipe 53, hose 43, and thence through the ducts 52 to operate the three pincer jaws S3 simultaneously. Thereafter, when the inlet valve is is closed and the exhaust valve 59' is opened, the air in the cylinders of the pincer units will escape to the atmosphere through the hose 43, the pipe 53, the valve chamber 5!, and an exhaust pipe 54 in communication with the outlet side of the latter valve.

The tappet 49 is provided by one arm of a three-armed lever (Fig. 7) arranged on a fulcrum pin '55. Another arm of this lever provides the exhaust tappet. 52 and the third arm is connected to operating mechanism hereinafter described. The arrangement of the tappets 39 and 52 is such that the valves 48 and 59 may be opened one at a time but not both at once.

Before a toe margin [6 is placed between the pincer jaws the latter may beretracted horizontally and at the same time depressed by depressing the treadle 33. This will clear a space in which the margin [6 may be placed without obstruction. Then, when the work has been correctly located, the pincer jaws will return to their initial gripping positions in consequence of releasing that treadle. In this operation, the fulcrum pins 3% are carried down and up while the outer ends of the horizontal arms of the levers 35 remain at their upper level where they are supported by springs 69. Thereafter, the rocking movement of the pincer units about their fulcrum pins 34 is derived from a vertically movable post fill (Figs. 1 and 3) arranged to slide in a fixed bearing 5!. The upper end of this post carries a holder 82 on which a flexible toeband 63, preferably made of sole-leather, is mounted. This toe-band is initially depressed (see Fig. 6) and is arranged to engage and elevate an intermediate band of the upper of a shoe While the margin l6 thereof is gripped by the jaws 38 and 39. Moreover, the band 63 is adjusted to wipe the upper and conform it to the toe portion of the last. The lower margin of the toe-band 63 is arranged in notches formed in a series of blocks 84 all seated on'a flat surface of the holder 62 and embraced by a tension spring 65. The ends of this spring are attached to anchoring pins 66 afiixed to the holder 62. While the spring serves to maintain the band initially in a contracted condition it also permits the band to be expanded, if necessary, by the toe portion of a shoe in consequence of being elevated to wipe and tension the upper.

The lower end of the post 60 carries a member 67 by which movement of the post is communicated to the three pincer units to rock them about their respective fulcrum pins 34. For this purpose the horizontal arms of the levers 35 are connected to the member 6'! individually, each set of connections comprising a rod 68, a compression spring 69 surrounding the rod, collars H], 10 also surrounding the rod and providing seats for the ends of the spring, a pin ll carried by the member 61, and a nut 12 engaging a screw-thread on the lower end of the rod. The upper end of each rod 68 is connected to the corresponding lever 35 by apivot pin 13, but the lower portion of the rod extends loosely through the lower collar Ill and through a hole in thepin H'. The nut l2 provides for adjusting the jaws of the corresponding pincer unit to positions where they may grip the margin l6 when they are closed. The compression springs 69 in these connections are under slight initial compression to insure movement of the pincer jaws away from the toe of a shoe when the post 60 starts to rise. These springs 69 thereafter permit the pincer jaws to be drawn toward the shoe in response to the demands of the upper in consequence of elevating the toe-band G3.

In Fig. 6 the pincer jaws 38 and 39 are represented as having gripped the margin I6 of the upper and as having drawn it away from the last. In the same figure, dotted lines represent the effect to be produced by elevating the toeband 63 far enough to deflect an intermediate band 75 of the upper toward the perimeter of the insole. The pincer jaws 38 and 39 maintain their grip on the margin Hi and are drawn toward the toe of the last even though they are springbiased away from the last by the compression springs 69 (Figs. 1 and 3). The combination of forces thus developed not only tensions the toe portion of the upper but also tends to elevate the toe portion of the shoe. I8 is thus maintained firmly in contact with the lower surface of a fixed abutment 15 one purpose of which is to locate the upstanding margin l5 of the lining at the desired height for the severing operation and maintain the insole slightly below the plane in which the severing is done.

As viewed from above, see Fig. 2, the workengaging portion of the abutment 15 has an outcurved U-shaped configuration of approximately the same curvature as the perimeter of the toe portion of an insole. Referring again to Fig. 6, the abutment i5 is so formed as to provide a thin ledge 76 that braces the margin l5 in an erect position while it is being severed. The upper edge of this ledge lies in a horizontal plane and is sharp to provide an outcurved shearing edge with which a horizontally movable cutting blade 11 cooperates to sever the margin l5 with one stroke toward the heel end of the shoe.

The cutting blade 71 has an incurved U-shaped shearing edge that constitutes a counterpart of the outcurved shearing edge of the abutment 15. The entire cutting edge of the blade 11 is therefore adapted to overlap the ledge '56 at the termination of the cutting stroke. Moreover, the limbs of the blade 11 converge slightly toward their junction and they deflect the margin l5 against the perimeter of the ledge as they advance in their cutting stroke. When the blade 11 is viewed from above, as in Fig. 2, the shape of its shearing edge is apparent. This blade is affixed to a carrier 78 (Fig. 1) by which it is initially elevated above its path of operation to avoid obstructing access to the space in which the pincer jaws operate. A large hole in the plate 2| receives the carrier 18 and affords access of the operators fingers to the space above mentioned. The carrier 18 is affixed to a rock.-

The insole shaft I9 to provide for shifting the blade 11 to and from its path or plane of operation. Both ends of the rock-shaft I9 project beyond the carrier 73 and have bearings in spaced checks of a horizontally movable block 80. The checks of this block are arranged to slide in guides 8| affixed to the lower surface of the head plate 2|. The ends of the rock-shaft 19 project also through slots 82 in the guides 8| which establish the limits of travel of the block 88. The rock-shaft I8 stands initially at the rear ends of the slots 82 and remains in that position except when the blade TI is in operation. As shown in Fig. 2, the lever 21, is afilxed to the rock-shaft 79 by a set-screw 83, and the carrier I8 is affixed to the same shaft by set-screws 84. The tension spring 25 attached to the lever 21 is thus utilized to elevate the blade I! in addition to contributing to the support of the platform 23.

The organization provides for utilizing one double-acting fluid-operated unit to elevate the toe-band E3 and thereafter to operate the blade H, but the latter function cannot be initiated except by depressing the blade TI to its path of cutting movement after the band 63 has been elevated.

This two-purpose operating unit comprises a cylinder 85 and a trunk-piston 86 arranged therein. The lower end of this cylinder is closed and provided with a stem 81 with which a lever 88 is connected by a pivot pin 89. The lever 88 is mounted on a fulcrum pin 90 and comprises a pair of arms 9| extending forwardly therefrom and at opposte sides of the supporting column I9. Both arms 8I are connected to the vertically movable post 80 by connections comprising a pair of links 92 and a pivot pin 93 that extends through both links, through the post 69, and through slots 84 in the bearing 6!. The links 92 are connected to the arms 9| by individual pivot pins 95. Through these connections downward movement of the cylinder 85 produces upward movement of the post 60 and the toeband 53.

A stem-piece S6 amxed' to the upper end of the piston 85 is provided with two parallel pivot pins 91 and 88. The pin 9? constitutes the knee of a toggle comprising a toggle member 99, and a pair of toggle members IIlIl (see also Figs. 2 and 4). The toggle member 99 is pivotally mounted on the rock shaft 19 without rigid connection with the blade-carrier I8. The rear ends of the toggle members I80 are connected to the plate 2| by anchoring pins IEII. When the piston 88 rises it straightens the toggle to impart cutting movement to the blade 11. The pin 91 and the pin 89 below the cylinder are connected by two tension springs I82 of suflicient aggregate power to return the parts to their initial positions, as shown in Fig. 1, when the air-pressure below the piston is released to the atmosphere.

Compressed air is supplied to the cylinder 85 below the piston by a flexible hose I83. As shown in the diagram (Fig. 8) the other end of the hose I83 is in communication with a pipe I84 that connects the delivery side of a supply valve I and the valve chamber I86 of an exhaust valve I81. The pipe 46 is in communication with the valve-chamber I88 of the supply valve I85, while the outlet side of the exhaust valve IIl'I is in communication with the exhaust pipe 54,the latter being in communication with the atmosphere. When the supply valve I85 is open, compressed air in the supply pipe 46 may flow through the chamber I03, thence through the pipe I84 and the flexible hose I83 to actuate the cylinder 85 and thereafter the piston 86. At a later stage in this description it is explained Why the cylinder 85 is actuated first and the piston 88 thereafter. When the supply valve IE5 is closed and the exhaust valve I81 opened, the pressure in the cylinder 85 is released into the exhaust pipe 54.

As shown in Fig. 7, the stem of the supply valve I85 projects to be engaged by a tappet I89 and the stem of the exhaust valve projects to be engaged by a tappet H8. These valves are of the poppet type and are provided with closing springs. The tappets I08 and III are both carried by a common actuator I II arranged to rock on a fulcrum pin H2. One arm of the actuator III is connected to an operating lever H3 by a link H4. The lever I :3 is mounted on a fulcrum stud H5 and is initially maintained in the position shown in Fig. 7 by a tension spring H6. The exhaust valves I81 and 50 are thus maintained initially in their open positions and both supply valves I05 and 48 are permitted to engage their seats.

A horizontal rod III is rigidly secured to the lever H3 and provides for operating the tappets 49 and 52. For this purpose a connecting rod H8 is arranged on the rod Ill and has telescopic connection with a clevis i I9 pivotally connected to the tappet member that operates the valves 48 and 58. A compression spring I29 surrounding the rod I I8 engages the clevis and provides a resilient'force to open the valve 48. A nut 58 screwed on the rod I I8 is arranged to pull down the clevis to open the exhaust valve 50. The tappet 49 is adjusted to eliminate lost motion but the tappet I89 is adjusted to provide lost motion, to the end that a movement of the lever I I3 through a portion of its range may open the valve 48 without opening the valve I85. The only effect produced by opening the valve 48 is to close the jaws of the pincer units.- Nevertheless, a further travel of the lever II3 will cause the tappet I89 to open the valve I85 and thereby supply compressed air to the cylinder 85. Consequently, the toe-band 63 will be operated after the pincer jaws have taken hold of the toe margin I 6. The spring I28 and the telescopic connection between the rod H8 and the clevis H9 provide for opening movement of the valve I05 after the valve 48 has completed its opening movement.

The means for operating the lever I I3 (Fig. '7) comprise a treadle I2I, a connecting rod I22, a lever 123, and another connecting rod I24.- The arm of the treadle I2I is mounted on a fulcrum pin I25 that serves also as the fulcrum of the treadle 33; the lever I 23 is mounted on a fulcrum pin I26; the rod I22 is pivotally connected to the arm of the treadle I2I and to the lever I23;

' a collar I2? is affixed to the rod I2 2; and a swivelled block I28 is carried by the lever I23 and is arranged to surround and depress the rod I24 by acting on the collar I21. The latter connection also enables the block I28 to rise while the rod I24 remains depressed.

A pin I38 aflixed to the lever H3 is arranged to be caught by a latch I3I when the treadle I2I has been depressed far enough to open the valve I05. This latch is in the form of a bell crank and is pivotally mounted on a fulcrum stud I32. The latch is spring-biased toward its latching position by a, train of connections comprising a lug I33 carried thereby, a jointed connecting rod I34 the joint of which is formed. by a pivot pin I35, a collar I36 secured to the rod below the lug I33, a compression spring I3! surrounding the rod between the lug and the collar, the lever 21 (Figs. 1 and 2) and one of the tension springs 25.

.Two depressions of the treadle IZI are necessary to produce a complete cycle of operations. The first depression opens the valves 48 and I85 and places the lever II3 under control of the latch I3I to maintain these valves both in open position. A tension spring I38 will raise the lever I23 when the treadle I2I is released. At this stage the compressed air supplied to the cylinder 85 is effective only to depress the cylinder without raising the piston 86 because the latter is restrained by mechanism that requires a second depression of the treadle I 2I to release it. Consequently, although the force required to perate the piston 86 is developed in the cylinder prior to the second depression of the treadle, it cannot be utilized to operate the trimming mechanism until the second depression of the treadle.

The interval between the first and second de pressions is desirable to afiord the operator an opportunity to observe whether the toe portion of a shoe is correctly located with respect to the abutment I5 and whether the pincer units and the toe-band 53 have performed their respective functions as they should before the trimming blade is shifted to its plane of operation. The trimming mechanism is not under control of the treadle I2I when the latter is depressed the first time but the first depression establishes a cont-rolling relation whereby the second depression will shift the blade TI to its path of operation and trip the mechanism by which the piston 86 is initially restrained.

Referring to Fig. 7, the upper section of the jointed connecting rod I34 is provided with a shoulder I48 arranged to be engaged during the second depression of the treadle by a lug 'I4I carried by the lever I23. The joint provided by the pivot pin I 35 provides for displacing the shoulder I43 from the path of the lug I4I to render this operating connection of no efiect 0 the jointed rod I34, but compressed air is never theless supplied to the cylinder 85. Consequently, the arm I42 is shifted to permit a spring I39 (Fig. l) to draw the jointed rod I34 laterally into engagement with the lug I4! Now the elevation of the treadle I2I under the force of the spring I38 will carry the lug I4I above the shoulder I48 and the latter will fall into the path of the lug in readiness for the second depression of the treadle. The trimming mechanism is thus placed under the control of the treadle I2I as 'a direct result of operating the toe-band 63. The second depression of the treadle I2I operates the jointed rod I 34 to shift the blade TI to its path of cutting movement, which is represented by a broken line in Fig. 6. This shifting movement is communicated to the blade-carrier I8 by the lever 27 and the rock-shaft I9.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, the means for initially restraining the piston 86 against upward movement comprises toggle members I43 and I44, the knee of which is formed by a pivot pin I45. The members I44, one at each side of the member I43, are pivotally connected to the steinpiece 96 by the pivot pin 98. The member I43 is secured to a rock-shaft I46 as by a pin. This rock-shaft is journaled in fixed bearings I41 and one end thereof is provided with a torsion spring I48 by which the toggle members are initially maintained in the relation shown in Fig. 1 to lock the piston against movement. As viewed in Fig. l, the rotational bias of the rock-shaft I46 derived from the spring I48 is clockwise and the knee pivot I is thereby placed at the left of the dead-center line that intersects the pivots 88 and I 46. Abutting shoulders I49 formed on the toggle members maintain the knee-pivot I45 close to the dead-center line.

An arm I58, mounted on the rock-shaft I46 but not affixed thereto, provides means for breaking the toggle I43, I44 to release the piston. For this purpose the arm I5!) is provided with a lug I5I arranged to cooperate with alug I52 formed on the toggle member I43. Moreover, the outer end of the arm I58 is connected to the bladecarrier I8 by a link I53 comprising two parts connected by screw-threads to provide for regulating the initial width of the gap between the lugs I5I and I52.

When the carrier I8 is pulled down by the jointed rod I34, but before the blade I! has descended quite to its path of cutting movement, the arm I58 breaks the toggle I43, I 44 to release the piston 86; but when this release occurs, the forward ends of the blade-carrier I8 are in register with two stationary abutment rolls I54 (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) under which they must travel to permit full play of the piston 86. These rolls insure complete depression of the cutting blade before the actual cutting begins and, for this purpose, the upper roll-engaging surface of the bladecarrier 78 is made fiat and smooth, Moreover, when the carrier I8 has descended to its plane of cutting movement, it is arrested by two stationary blocks having flat bearing surfaces I55 on which the bottom surface of the carrier may slide. The shearing edge of the blade II is thus-positively located in the same plane as the cooperative shearing edge of the abutment I5. Now, since the toggle I43, I44 has been broken the toggle 99, I00 may be straightened by the piston to impart a cutting stroke to the blade TI.

The second depression of the treadle I2I (Fig. '7) is also effective to release the lever II3 from the latch I3 I. For this purpose, the lower section of the jointed connecting rod I34 is provided with an encircling compression spring I56 above the lug I33 and with a collar I5! above the spring. The collar is afiiXed to the rod I 34 at a point that will insure retraction of the latch I 3I and compression of the spring I55 at the conclusion of the second depression of the treadle. the treadle I 2| is released after its second depression, the compressed condition of the spring I56 maintains the latch I3I in its retracted position until the pin I38 has risen far enough to escape the latch. The restoration of the lever I I3 to its initial position by the spring H6 causes the tappets 49 and I89 to release the supply valves 48 and I05 and finally causes the tappets 52 and I III to open the exhaust valves 58 and IilI.

When the air-pressure is released from the cylinder 85 the latter and the piston 86 are returned to their initial positions by the springs I82. The breaking of the toggle 99, I88, due to releasing the treadle IZI, releases the blade-carrier I8 from the abutment rolls 54, whereupon the bladecarrier is elevated to its initial position by the When spring 25 attached to the lever 21. Fig. 4 includes a hydraulic shock-absorber I58 the purpose of which is to retard the return of the cylinder 85 and the piston 86 to their initial positions and to relieve the connected mechanisms from toosevere impacts when their return motions are arrested. This shock-absorber is suspended below, and affixed to the stationary plate 29, and its operating arm I59 is connected to the pivot pin 91 by a link I60.

In the use of the described machine, the procedure is as follows: The operator, having snipped the lasting margins 15 and 16 as represented in Fig. 5, will first erect them and thereafter flare or turn out the margin 16 and leave the margin l5 erect. Now, he will place the toe portion of the insole against the bottom surface of the abutment l5 and continue to support the shoe manually, and at the same time depress the treadle 33 (Fig. 7) to retract the pincers and thereby clear a space for the margin I6. Having done these things, he will release the treadle 33 and if the margin I6 is not in position to be gripped by all the jaws of the. pincer units when they return to their initial positions, he will adjust that margin manually. to insure its being gripped. Now, the operator will depress the tre'adle l2l to effect the closing of the pincers and the tensioning movements of the pincer units and the toe-band 63. The slots 94 (Fig. 1) limit the upward movement of the toe-band. At this stage, he may observe whether the several parts of the shoe bear the desired relations to the work-engaging instrumentalities of the machine and particularly the control of the margin l6 by the pincer units, since one of the functions of the pincer units is to maintain the margin l6 out of the field of operation of the trimming blade 11.

Having observed that all these conditions are as they should be, he will again depress the treadle I 2| to cause the operation of the trimming mechanism. When the treadle I2] is released after its second depression all the parts return to their initial positions and the shoe, being released by the pincer units and by the toe-band 63, may be removed from the operating locality and placed on its rack or otherwise taken in hand for other operations.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of operating on partially fabricated shoes which consists in snipping the margins of the upper and the lining at both sides of the forepart near the tipline, unmasking the outer surface of the toe margin of the lining by flaring the corresponding margin of the upper throughout the range bounded by the snips, and thereafter severing a strip from the unmasked margin of the lining with a cut that intersects the edges produced by the snips.

2. That improvement in methods of operating on partially fabricated shoes which consists in snipping the margins of the upper and the lining at both sides of the forepart near the tip-line, unmasking the toe margin of the lining by flaring the corresponding margin of the upper, tensioning the flared margin of the upper radially with respect to the curvature of the toe'of the insole, and severing a strip from said margin of the lining on a line terminating at the snipped ends thereof at points near the edge of the insole.

3. That improvement in methods of operating on partially fabricated shoes which consists in snipping the margins of the upper and the lining at both sides of the forepart near the tip-line, erecting the toe margin of the lining, unmasking the toe margin of the lining by flaring the toe margin of the upper, tensioning the flared margin of the upper radiall with respect to the curvature of the toe of the insole, and severing a strip from the erect margin of the lining on a line terminating at the snipped ends thereof.

4. That improvement in methods of operating on partially fabricated shoes which consists in bracing the inner surface of the toe margin of the lining, flaring the toe margin of the upper to unmask the toe margin of the lining, bracing the outer surface of a band of the upper against the perimeter of the toe of the last, and severing a strip from the braced margin of the lining in a plane near the bottom of the insole.

5. That improvement in methods of operating on partially fabricated shoes which consists in snipping the margins of the upper and the lining at both sides of the forepart near the tipline, conforming the lining to the toe of the last by tensioning the toe margin of the upper and deflecting an intermediate band thereof toward the insole, and severing a strip from the toe margin of the lining on a line terminating at the snipped ends thereof.

6. A trimming machine comprising a work-p0- sitioning member formed and arranged to be engaged by the margin of the toe portion of the insole of a partially fabricated shoe on a last and having an outcurved U-shaped shearing edge of about the same configuration as the toe portion specified, means arranged to grip the unlasted toe margin of the upper and maintain it away from the plane of the insole, a movable cutter having an incurved U-shaped shearing edge constituting a counterpart of said outcurved edge, and means for operating said cutter with movement toward the heel end of the shoe to sever lining material projecting heightwise of the last between said shearing edges.

7. A trimming machine comprising two cooperative shearing members having counterpartal shearing edges, one incurved and the other outcurved, arranged to sever a strip of the unsecured lasting margin of the lining at the toe end of a partially fabricated shoe with relative movement'lengthwise of the shoe, means arranged to produce such movement, and means arranged to maintain the corresponding margin of the upper out of the operating range of said shearing members.

8. A trimming machine comprising two cooperative shearing members having counterpartal shearing edges, one incurved and the other outcurved, arranged to sever a strip of the unsecured lasting margin of the lining at the toe end of a partially fabricated shoe with relative movement lengthwise of the shoe, means arranged to produce such movement, means arranged to grip the corresponding margin of the upper, a toeband for engaging the toe end of the upper, and means arranged to move said toe-band in a direction to force the insole of the shoe against one of said shearing members while the margin of the upper is gripped.

9. A trimming machine as specified in claim 8 in which said gripping means comprises a series of pincer units movable toward and from the shoe in divergent paths, said units being springbiased away from the shoe.

10. A trimming machine as specified in claim 8 in which said gripping means comprises a series of pincer units movable toward and from the shoe in divergent paths, mean arranged to close all the pincers at once, and means by which said pincer units are spring-biased to tension said toe margin of the upper.

11. A trimming machine as specified in claim 8 in which said gripping mean comprises a series,

of pincer units, means arranged to close all the pincers at once, mechanism by which an intermediate band of the toe margin of the upper is deflected toward the plane of the insole, and resilient means by which said pincer units are biased to resist displacement due to such deflection.

12. A trimming machine comprising two cooperative shearing members having. counterpartal shearing edges, one incurved and the other outcurved, arranged to sever a strip of the unsecured lasting margin of the lining at the toe end of a partially fabricated shoe with relative movement lengthwise of the shoe, means arranged to produce such movement, and a series of pincer units arranged to grip the corresponding margin of the upper and maintain it out of the operating range of said shearing members.

13. A trimming machine comprising two cooperative shearing members having counterpartal shearing edges, one incurved and the other outcurved, arranged to sever a strip of the unsecured lasting margin of the lining at the toe end of a partially fabricated shoe with relative movement lengthwise of the shoe, means arranged to produce such movement, means arranged to grip the corresponding margin of the upper and maintain it out of the operating range of said shearing members, and means arranged to act against the upper between the last and said gripping means to force the insole against one of said shearing members.

14. A trimming machine comprising means arranged to grip the outspread toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe, mechanism arranged to operate said means to grip the upper, an abutment arranged to be engaged by the face of the insole, a toe-band, mechanism arranged to tension the upper by relatively moving said toe-band and said abutment, a cutter arranged to cooperate with said abutment to sever a strip of the toe margin of the lining on aline near the edge of the insole, and mechanism arranged to operate said cutter.

15. A trimming machine a specified in claim 14, in which said cutter is provided with an incurved cutting edge the contour of which corresponds to that of the toe of an insole.

16. A trimming machine as specified in claim 14, in which said cutter and said abutment are provided with cooperative shearing edges of contours corresponding to that of the toe of an insole.

17. A trimming machine comprising an abutment having an outcurved surface to be engaged by the inner surface of the unlasted toe margin of the lining of a partially fabricated shoe, a

cutting blade having an incurved cutting edge of a contour corresponding to said outcurved surface, means by which said blade is carried to and from an operating plane, means by which said blade is operated in said p a e ith move e t against said abutment, and means arranged to maintain the toe margin of the upper out of the cutting range of said blade.

18. A trimming machine as specified in claim 17, in which said abutment is provided with a shearing ledge with which the cutting edge of said blade cooperates.

19. A trimming machine comprising a block formed and arranged to act as an abutment for the toe portion of the insole of a partially fabricated shoe, said block having an outcurved U- shaped shearing edge arranged to lie near the edge of the insole and within the unsecured lasting margin of the lining, means arranged to grip the corresponding margin of the upper and maintain it outspread, means arranged to deflect an intermediate band of theupper toward the plane of the insole to force the latter against said block, a cutterhaving an incurved U-shaped shearing edge constituting a counterpart of said' outcurved shearing edge, means arranged to carry said cutter to and from an operating path in relation to said block, and means arranged to operate said cutter in said path.

20. A trimming machine comprising a locating abutment formed and arranged to be engaged by the bottom ofthe toe portion of the insole of a partially fabricated shoe, gripping means arranged to grip the unlasted toe margin of the upper and maintain it in a flared condition, mechanism including a member arranged to move between the last and said gripping means in a direction to deflect an intermediate band of the flared upper toward the plane of the insole and thereby press the insole against said abutment, and cutting mechanism arranged to sever the toe margin of the lining on a line near the edge of the insole.

21. A trimming machine as specified in claim 20 in which said abutment is provided with an outcurved U-shaped shearing edge and said cutting mechanism comprises a blade having an incurved U-shaped cutting edge that cooperates with said outcurved edge to sever the toe margin of the lining with a single stroke.

22. A trimming machine comprising a locating abutment formed and arranged to be engaged by the bottom of the toe portion of the insole of a partially fabricated shoe, a series of pincer units arranged to grip the unlasted toe margin of the upper, operating means by which said units are shifted simultaneously in directions to spread said toe margin, a toe-band operable by said op-' erating means to deflect an intermediate band of the outspread upper toward the plane of the insole and thereby press the insole against said abutment. and cutting mechanism arranged to sever the toe margin of the lining on a line near the edge of the insole.

23. A trimming machine comprising a cutting blade having an incurved U-shaped cutting edge, complementally shaped abutment arranged to be engaged by the bottom of the insole of a partially fabricated shoe and to brace the toe margin of the lining against cutting movement of said blade, means arranged to maintain the corres ending margin of the upper outspread to unmask said margin of the lining, fluid-pressure means arranged to impart cutting movement to said blade, means by which said blade may be shifted to and from an operating path in register with said abutment, and controlling means arranged to restrain said blade against cutting 'movement except when it is brought to said pressure means arranged to close the pincers all at once, fluid-pressure means arranged to deflect an intermediate band of the upper between said outer band and the toe of the last, resilient means arranged to bias said pincer units in directions to tension the upper against said deflecting means, cutting means arranged to sever a strip from-the toe margin of the lining, and mechanism arranged to operate said cutting means.

25. A trimming machine comprising means arranged to locate the toe portion of a partially fabricated shoe, means arranged to grip the outer band of the toe mar in of the upper and maintain it outspread to unmask the corresponding margin of the lining, said locating means having an outcurved shearing edge arranged to lie against the inner surface of said margin of the lining, a cutting member having an incurved shearing edge arranged to cooperate with said outcurved edge to sever a strip from said margin of the lining, said cutting member being movable to and from its path of cutting movement, power-operated mechanism arranged to operate said cutting member in said path, and means by which the operation of said cutting member is initiated in consequence of shifting it to its path of cutting movement.

26. A trimming machine comprising cutting means arranged to sever a strip from the toe margin of the lining of a partially fabricated shoe, an abutment arranged to be engaged by the bottom of the insole to locate the toe portion thereof, means arranged to grip the outer band of the toe margin of the upper and maintain it out of the field of operation of said cutting means, deflecting means arranged to engage an intermediate band of the upper between said outer band and the last, means arranged to operate said deflecting means, individually controllable power-operated means arranged to operate said cutting means, a treadle, and connections operable by said deflecting means to place said individually controllable means under control of said treadle.

27. A trimming machine comprising a series of individually movable pairs of pincers arranged to grip the unlasted toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe and maintain said margin outspread and away from the lining, a

treadle and connections operable thereby to shift said pairs of pincers away from, and return them to, their respective initial gripping localities, a manual controller means, power-operated means controlled by said controller and arranged to impart gripping movement to the pincers of all said pairs, power-operated means also controlled b said controller and arranged to shift said pairs of pincers in directions to spread the toe margin of the upper away from the corresponding margin of the lining, and power-operated cutting means arranged to sever a strip of said margin of the lining near the edge of the insole.

28. A trimming machine comprising gripping mechanism arranged to grip the unlasted toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe and maintain said margin outspread and away from the lining, cutting means arranged to sever a strip of the toe margin of the lining, power-operated means arranged to impart gripping movement to said gripping mechanism, power-operated means arranged to impart cutting movement to said cutting means, a treadle,

connections operable by one depression of said treadle to initiate the operation of the poweroperated means first specified, and other connections operable by the next successive depression of said treadle to initiate the operation of the other one of said power-operated means.

29. A trimming machine comprising gripping mechanism arranged to grip the unlasted toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated.

shoe and maintain said margin outspread and away from the lining, a movable toe-band arranged to deflect an intermediate band of the upperbetween the last and said gripping mechanism, cutting means arranged to sever a strip of the toe margin of the lining, power-operated means arranged to operate said toe-band, poweroperated means arranged to impart cutting movement to said cutting means, a treadle, connections operable by one depression of said treadle to initiate the operation of the power-operated means first specified, and other connections operable by the next successive depression of said treadle to initiate the operation of the other one of said power-operated means.

30. A trimming machine comprising a series of pairs of pincers arranged to grip the unlasted and outspread toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe, a movable toe-band arranged to deflect an inner band of said margin between said pincers and the last, a treadle, power-operated pincer-closing means controlled by said treadle, power-operated means also controlled by said treadle to operate said toe-band afterthe pincers are closed, and cutting means arranged to sever a strip from the toe margin of the lining while said margin of the upper is under the joint control of said pincers and said toe-band.

31. A trimming machine comprising a series of pairs of pincers arranged to grip the unlasted and outspread toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe, a movable toe-band arranged to deflect an inner band of said margin between said pincers and the last, a treadle, power-operated pincer-closing means controlled by said treadle, power-operated cutting means controlled by said treadle and arranged to sever a strip from the toe margin of the lining while the toe margin of the upper is gripped by said pincers, and power-operated means also controlled by said treadle to operate said toe-band after the pincer-closing operation but before the operation of said cutting means.

32. A trimming machine comprising a series of pairs of pincers arranged to grip the unlasted and outspread toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe, a movable toe-band arranged to deflect an inner band of said margin between said pincers and the last, a treadle, cutting means arranged to sever a strip of the toe margin of the lining, a fluid-operated cylinderand-piston unit one part of which is movable to operate said toe-band and the other part of which is movable to operate said cutting means, means operable by said treadle to supply operating fluid to said cylinder-and-piston unit, means arranged initially to restrain that part of said unit that operates the cutting means, and means operable by said treadle to trip said restraining means after the operation of that part of said unit that operates said toe-band.

BERNHARDT J ORGENSEN. 

